MORNING GLORY
by HBK © 2002
Dismounting from Katy, Kid quickly washed his face and headed inside the bunkhouse. He was gone for three long days, and all he wanted was some sleep.
"Hey, Kid," Jimmy said as he walked in. "Rough ride?"
Kid rolled his eyes, taking off his coat. "Tell me about it."
"Well, this package came in." Jimmy threw the package to the weary rider.
Kid looked at the address. It was the address of the saloon. "What do you want me to do with this?"
"Deliver it," Jimmy said.
"I can't believe you!" Kid wanted to choke his friend. "I just got back, and now you want me to deliver this?"
"Hey, Rachel told me to tell you."
"Why don't you give it to Jesse? He works there!" Kid said angrily, lying on his bunk.
"Kid, Jesse has no business delivering mails. It's our job to do it, not his!" Jimmy argued.
"Why don't you do it?"
Jimmy gestured toward his ankle, which was heavily bandaged.
"What happened?"
"I was helping Teaspoon with some Marshal business, and got into a little gunfight."
"You all right?"
"I almost had my ankle amputated."
"What?"
Jimmy burst out laughing. If Kid was falling for his lies, he definitely was physically and mentally tired. "It ain't serious. I just have to walk with a cane for about a week. After that, I can ride again."
Feeling sorry for his friend, Kid finally complied to his friend's request. "Don't worry about this package. I'll deliver it." Kid began putting his boots and coat on.
"You can go later. Take a nap, Kid. You look like crap," Jimmy told him.
"Nah, I should take it now." Grabbing the package, he quietly left the room. He felt truly bad for Jimmy. He understood how hard it must be for him to be disabled for a week.
Although the saloon was a ten-minute walk, he decided to take Katy. He just wanted to get there and get out as quickly as possible.
Lou sat at the front desk lazily. Business was slow. Nothing was going on. She terribly wanted to go for a ride. She was aching to ride her horse, Lightning. She stared blankly at the scene outside. The sun was shining, the wind was perfect. She hated being stuck inside the saloon on such a beautiful day. She felt trapped and somewhat deprived of her liberty.
She knew she was not supposed to read while she sat at the front desk, but the boredom was becoming unbearable. Her job was to handle requests and complaints, or welcome new visitors. She stared at the half empty bottle of wine that stood on the table. She was assigned to offer a drink to anyone coming in as a gesture of kindness and generosity.
Looking around the saloon, Lou saw the same perverted faces of the rowdy, disgusting men whose uncontrollable hands wandered unmercifully on the women's bodies. Grabbing her book, she began to read, becoming suddenly oblivious of everything around her.
Kid walked in, looking around the room. He wished to see Jesse, any familiar
face in the somewhat empty place. The odor of whiskey and alcohol was so strong,
he was pretty sure he could get drunk just by inhaling the scent.
His blue eyes finally fell on the young woman who sat at the front desk, completely
engaged in the book she was reading. He certainly was not surprised when she
didn't look up as he approached.
"Ma'am, good afternoon," he said politely.
"G'afternoon," she said, still not looking up from her task.
"I have a package here to deliver. I work for the Pony Express." He knew it was wrong for him to stare at her when she was not looking, but he could not help himself. She was truly something else. What was she doing working at the saloon anyway? She certainly didn't look like a prostitute. Her dress was white and simple. Her long, auburn hair was carelessly tied in a white ribbon.
"You can just leave it on the desk," she told him. "Thank you."
He placed the package carefully as he was told. Although he knew she was not looking, he took off his hat for her anyway. He was about to walk out when a man in his late forties walked in and called after him.
"Excuse me, sir," the man said, extending his hand. "I'm Boggs, owner of this saloon. Is this your first time here?"
Lou quickly hid her book under the desk and straightened herself. She prayed that Boggs didn't catch her reading a book.
"I didn't really come here for fun. I just had a package to deliver," he said, noticing how the young woman quickly hid her book. She was now staring at them, and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful her eyes were.
Boggs sent a look of disapproval toward his daughter. "Well, I hope you'll stop by in the future." He turned to Lou and asked, "Did you ask him?"
Of course she didn't ask him! She didn't even see his face until now!
When she didn't answer, Boggs turned to Kid. "Did she ask you?"
Ask me what? Kid quickly glanced at the young woman whose pleading eyes seemed to tell him to just say yes.
"She didn't ask you, did she?"
Kid noted the angry tone in the man's voice and wondered what kind of trouble the woman would be in if he didn't answer soon. "Yes, sir, she did. She asked me," he said although he had no idea what he was talking about.
Lou breathed a sigh of relief. He was truly an angel! No one, especially a stranger, had shown her such kindness. Charlotte was the only one who ever did something nice to her. Now this handsome man was helping her without knowing what the whole affair was about. She could imagine what other men would do, how they would take advantage of the situation.
She was somewhat glad that Boggs came. Otherwise, she might not see this young rider's face. She sure wouldn't mind rolling in bed and seeing his face next to hers. What the hell am I thinking? she scolded herself. I've only seen him in less than two minutes, and I'm already thinking about rolling in bed with him! What's wrong with me?
Boggs smiled at the young man. "So she did ask you. Was it good?"
Kid frowned, but he quickly replaced the frown with a smile. Now this was getting more confusing, but he decided to play along anyway. It scared him to think how good a liar he could be when he put his mind into it. "Yes, sir, it was good."
Boggs turned to Lou. "Maybe you can give him one to take home."
Lou nodded.
Take home what? Kid wondered. This is getting dangerous. Is he talking about a prostitute? Why would he want me to take home a prostitute? Nothing was making sense, and it was beginning to anger him. He could almost see his friends' faces if he brought home a prostitute. Rachel would kill him.
"Very well then. Nice to meet you, Mr.-"
"People just call me the Kid."
Boggs smiled. "Okay, Kid, take it easy now. I know you Pony Express riders have a reputation for trouble."
Kid nodded, smiling at the man's joke although he was not sure if Boggs was joking, for there was some truth in what he said. When Boggs was out of sight, he turned to the young woman. "What the hell was that about?"
Lou was surprised at his anger, and nervously leaned back on the chair.
Kid sighed, sorry for scaring the young woman. "Listen, I don't know what just happened here. Will you enlighten me please?"
Lou smiled. She liked the way he talked, especially the way he looked. "I'm sorry, Mr.-"
Exasperated, he said, "Just call me Kid."
"Okay, Kid, again I apologize for my stupidity. It was all my fault. I was supposed to ask you if you'd like to have some wine when you came in, but I completely forgot. That's what he was talking about. He wanted to make sure that I was doing my job, that I asked you if you'd like some wine."
Kid breathed easier after she told him.
"I'd like to thank you, Kid. That was really nice of you to cover for my mistake." She presented him with a bottle of wine. "Here, take this home with you."
Kid refused the offer. "It's quite all right. I don't drink."
"Please take it. It's the least I can do."
"No, ma'am, it's really okay. Just keep it or give it to your boyfriend." For some strange reason, the thought of her having a boyfriend irritated him.
Lou smiled. "Please take it. He might be watching us."
Kid frowned. Hell, why not? Her smile was simply irresistible, and he certainly could not say no. "Well, take care now, ma'am. Thank you for this wine." He tipped his hat off to the young lady.
Lou smiled again. It was really rare for her to encounter a respectful and handsome man. Most men she knew were mean, ugly, disgusting, perverted, violent. He was different. He was flawless. She watched him walk out of the saloon, silently wishing that he'd come back in the future. He seemed to belong to another world, where he was free, happy, and independent while she remained imprisoned in the dark, lonely world that her father had created for her.
When Kid arrived at the station, Jimmy sat on the front porch, waiting for noone in particular. He doubtlessly looked bored out of his mind.
"You okay, Jimmy?" Kid asked with concern in his eyes. He hated to see his friend planted in one place. Jimmy was always moving, riding, doing something.
"I'm fine. What took you so long anyway? You've been gone for almost thirty minutes. It only takes ten minutes to walk to the saloon and another ten minutes to walk back. It should only take less than three minutes to deliver the package. You even brought Katy. It should have taken you less."
Jimmy reminded him of a grumpy old man. Kid laughed. It took him some time to get rid of the bottle of wine. He ended up giving it to a very grateful alcoholic and felt a bit terrible about benefiting from someone's weakness. "Gee, Jimmy, I guess it sucks being alone and unable to do anything."
Jimmy nodded, staring at the swollen ankle. "Samantha came here yesterday."
Kid looked puzzled for a second. "Samantha?"
"Yes, Kid, Samantha. Didn't I just say Samantha?" When Kid stared at him with puzzlement, Jimmy explained, "Samantha, the schoolteacher? Remember the woman in town when we first got here?"
"Oh, that Samantha. Yeah, of course I remember. What happened?"
"She was looking for you. I told her you'd be back today, and that I'd tell you to come see her."
Kid sighed. "Jimmy, I'm tired. I just got back from my ride and from delivering the package."
"I didn't mean you come see her right this very second. You can visit here later. I'm telling you, Kid. Don't let this one go. She's special."
Kid smiled, debating in his mind whether to tell Jimmy about the woman he saw at the saloon. "You should see this woman at the saloon."
Jimmy laughed. "Kid, the women who work at the saloon are always good-looking and pretty. If they can't be attractive to somebody, there's no point in running a business. But you should see some of the women who work there. They look so sad, defeated, dead. I kinda feel sorry for them sometimes."
Sad, defeated, dead, Kid repeated Jimmy's words in his mind. But the words did not suit the woman he saw. She was the farthest thing from being sad, defeated, and dead. Well, maybe there was a cloud of despondency that surrounded her, but that was only in the presence of the old man who introduced himself as Boggs. Otherwise, she looked lively, carefree, and strong-willed.
"Jimmy, I don't think she was a prostitute."
Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me she's an aide like Jesse. C'mon, Kid, why would she work there if she wasn't a prostitute?"
"I don't know. She doesn't look like one to me."
"Maybe she's a beginner. Maybe she doesn't wear her outfit until the evening. Maybe that's when she really starts acting wild and sexy and flirty. Maybe that's the best time you should see her," Jimmy teased him.
"Jimmy, I'm serious. She's not a prostitute."
"Yeah, and I'm not an Express rider," Jimmy muttered sarcastically. "How could you be so sure? How many prostitutes have you been with anyway? Zero?"
"That's not the point. I know when someone's a prostitute or not. Even if she is, that doesn't matter."
"Are you telling me that you're in love with her?"
"No, I won't really call it love. Maybe, it's more of an attraction. I'm very attracted to her, I guess," Kid replied.
Jimmy frowned. He was compelled to see the woman for himself. "Kid, it happens to everybody. I could be walking down the street and find someone attractive. It's natural. Look at Cody. He's always attracted to someone."
"That's Cody. He's different. But I guess you're right. I guess it's 'cause I haven't been that attracted to somebody in a long time," Kid agreed.
"Did you see Jesse there?"
Kid shook his head. "I was kinda looking for him, but I didn't see him anywhere. Maybe he's doing some errands. You know what time he'll be back?"
"I don't know. Why? Are you planning on getting some information on that woman?"
Kid laughed. There was no escape from Jimmy when it came to women. "Maybe."
"Jesse!" Charlotte called after the boy. "Jesse, put that down now!"
Jesse quickly lowered the rifle as he saw the woman approached. "Hi, Charlotte." He was beginning to learn the names of the many workers at the saloon, and he was even beginning to be familiar with some of them. Charlotte was like the Rachel of the saloon.
Charlotte grabbed the rifle from the boy. "What are you doing with this, huh?"
Jesse shrugged his shoulders.
"This is not a toy!"
"I was just looking at it," Jesse told her. "It belongs to Boggs. I asked him if I could see it."
Charlotte gave him a look of disapproval. "Jesse, I want you to take this back to him now. I know he's very kind to you. I guess he reminds you of his son."
"Where's his son?"
"In the East. He's a few years younger than you. Boggs hasn't seen him in quite a while."
Jesse stared at the entrance of the saloon, where Lou was standing. "He has his daughter here. Why does he treat her like she's not his daughter?" Jesse remembered Boggs yelling at Lou for some trifle mistakes she made or for anything else she did. Boggs seemed to find something to disapprove of or criticize in the young lady.
"I don't really know why," Charlotte told him. "I guess he blames her for his wife's death."
"Why does he still keep her around? Why doesn't he just send her somewhere else where he doesn't have to see her face if she bothers him so much?"
"His wife made him promise to take care of all the children, which includes Louise."
Jesse had a silent admiration for the young woman. Lou was not easily intimidated by the customers of the saloon. She even defended the working women who were harassed by the customers. He especially liked the way she rode her horse. He was amazed at how good she was. Considering how she seldom got out of that place, it was a wonder where she learned to ride like a professional. She was a better rider than any woman he knew and maybe even better than some of the men.
"Jesse, give this back to Boggs," Charlotte reminded the boy as she took her leave. "Don't make me tell you again."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he muttered under his breath. He felt his heart beat faster when he noticed Lou coming his way.
"Jesse?"
He pretended not to have seen her and acted surprise. "Hi, Louise. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be inside?"
Lou lowered her head, and he suddenly felt bad. He knew how she hated taking orders from her father. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything."
She smiled at him. "Listen, I have some letters to deliver to my sister and brother. I've heard that there's a new Pony Express Station that opened here. Do you know where it is?"
Jesse's grin grew wider. He couldn't believe his luck. Here was another opportunity to impress the woman. "Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, I live there."
Lou frowned. "You live there? What do you mean?"
"Well, I stay with the riders. They're like my big brothers. I have an older brother, Frank, but he's not with me. The riders have been my family."
"That's sweet," Lou said sincerely. "Well, I hope you won't mind accompanying me there when you're done working."
"Of course not." Hell, he'd do anything for Lou. She didn't even need to ask.
"Thank you, Jesse. I'll take Lightning for a ride. I'll be back in a few hours," she told him. "If my father asks for me, just tell him I'm getting some groceries. See ya," she said, running and pulling his hat at the same time.
Jesse knew how her father hated her riding. Boggs often accused her of being so unladylike that he wouldn't be surprised if she never got married. But the way that men looked at Lou as she walked by told a different story. Jesse would not be surprised if she ended up with more than one husband.
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